Benjamin's departure from the football team puts to end one of the more interesting early stories of Oregon's spring practices. Benjamin played football in high school before turning toward the basketball route. He played two seasons with the Ducks, coming off the bench, before rumors started swirling about a potential return to the gridiron. Benjamin had 45 catches for 927 yards and 14 touchdowns during one season at Northside High School in Lafayette and had talked numerous times during his tenure on the basketball team about possibly returning to football.

That interest turned mutual last week when Oregon offensive coordinator Matt Lubick extended an invitation to the 6-foot-7 senior.

Benjamin would practice on Monday, but by the time Lubick talked again a week after his initial comments, it seemed that the experiment had run its course.

"It is hard to say what he can do if he could help us right now," Lubick said. "Right now, he's not settled on what he's going to do. He might go play basketball overseas. I know I am excited about the guys we do have. If someone from outside was going to come in and play, with our skill we are deeper than we have been in the past, you have got to be pretty darned good. That's not easy."